While taking on the vast subject of the universe, filmmaker Terrence Malick is determined to give viewers a cinematic experience unlike anything they've ever seen before. With his forthcoming IMAX documentary "Voyage of Time," the three-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker explores the scientific origins of the cosmos and the early history of life. Weighty themes, indeed. But Malick has utilized the enormous talents of digital effects artists to smooth out some of the rough edges.

Check out a new behind-the-scenes featurette for Malick's 40-minute IMAX documentary, which, if nothing else, features some eye-popping visuals -- partially made in the computer by visual effects supervisor Dan Glass and his team.

"Voyage of Time" features a narration by Brad Pitt and will premiere on the giant-screen format next month, beginning October 7. (Side note: a longer, 90-minute version of the film will be released internationally and will also feature a brand-new narration performed by Cate Blanchett.)

synopsis: Voyage of Time: The IMAX Experience is a one-of-a-kind celebration of life and the grand history of the cosmos, transporting audiences into a vast yet up-close-and personal journey that spans the eons from the Big Bang to the dinosaur age to our present human world ... and beyond. A labor of love from one of American cinema's most acclaimed and visually exciting filmmakers, Terrence Malick (The Thin Red Line, The Tree of Life), Voyage of Time has been nearly four decades in the making and represents the filmmaker’s first foray into documentary storytelling. The film's panorama of awe-inspiring images will take you into the heart of monumental events never witnessed -- from the birth of the stars and galaxies to the explosion of diverse life-forms on planet earth, including humankind -- in immersive new ways that only IMAX can deliver. This is a cosmic experience -- a hymn to the glories of nature, life and scientific discovery -- in which all the elements come together to form Malick’s most original film to date.